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Daily coverage of the world of cars.

United States

Station Wagons Are Back, But They’re Not Called Station Wagons Anymore

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The Buick Regal TourX will be based on the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer Wagon

Once upon a time station wagons were must-have family vehicles. Cars like the Vista Cruiser and Buick Estate were parked with pride in driveways across the nation. They epitomized family road trips as much as financial success.

Owning a station wagon was a status symbol of a life well-lived, even if behind closed doors they offered private chambers for yelling at kids and fighting over who got the “way back” seats.

As Americans settled into the 1990s, they discovered that the 4-wheel-drive capability and commanding view of sport utility vehicles made station wagons obsolete. The wagon was almost instantly forgotten.

Automakers have attempted to resurrect the wagon over the last couple of decades with limited success. Today, Buick and Jaguar are hoping their latest iterations of the wagon hit the sweet spot with American car buyers. Just don’t expect to them to be called station wagons. Continue reading >>>

With Volvo’s Comeback Complete, What’s Next?

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Well, they did it.

Written off as a doomed automaker when Ford unloaded it to Geely Automotive in 2010, Volvo has defied the odds and roared back to life while keeping its Swedish charm under Chinese ownership.

That wasn’t supposed to happen.

While execs at Volvo remained confident through the transition that they’d bring the company back to life, we have to take a moment and point out that Saab’s executives once thought the same thing.

Sinking automakers rarely can find the cash—or the buyers—to become relevant again and—like Saab—tend to disappear into the night.

Ask anyone who’s driven a new XC90, though, if Volvo shows any signs of disappearing. Continue reading >>>

Change and Sameness at the 2017 NYIAS


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2017 New York International Auto Show
Auto shows provide strong evidence to support the following proverb: “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Gearheads from around the world arrive at the Javits Convention Center with eyes alight every Spring to get a look at and learn about the latest and greatest cars available for sale at the New York International Auto Show. The cars change from year to year, of course, but many other things stay pretty much the same. Continue reading >>>

Dodge’s Plan to Prevent Demon Markups

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If you’ve ever purchased an in-demand or limited edition new car, you’re familiar with dealer markups. The extra costs are added onto the MSRP and disguised as a “market adjustment,” “convenience fee,” or any other creative wording the dealer chooses.

Markups above and beyond MSRP are pure profit for a dealer and, for the right car, customers will begrudgingly pay it.

This recently happened with the Dodge Hellcats, which saw dealer markups of up to $25,000 beyond MSRP. Markups are legal and, some say, just a reflection of a vehicle’s true value based on demand. After all, a car is worth whatever someone is willing to pay for it.

The new Dodge Challenger Demon is set to hit dealer floors this summer, and FCA has a fancy way of discouraging dealers from gouging Demon customers. Continue reading >>>

Here’s the Best-Selling Non-Pickup in America


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The list of best-selling vehicles in the United States is always topped with the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado. Beyond those two constants, there’s a consistent flow of Toyotas and Hondas that typically round out the top 10.

One car that hasn’t spent much time on the best-selling list is the Nissan Rogue. Its name suggests that the car is a lone ranger, a scoundrel driven away from the rest of the herd and left to operate on its own. This is a vehicle that might be more comfortable slinking around in the dark than basking in the limelight of a top-sellers list.

It’s ironic then, that the once-mediocre and formerly unpleasant Nissan Rogue has evolved into the best-selling non-pickup in America.

Continue reading >>>